Mike Hailwood - 100 Objects

An intimate insight into a racing lifeMike Hailwood is a legend. Arguably the world¿s greatest ever motorcycle racer, he transcended eras and generations. His two-wheeled racing career began - and he initially made his name - aboard big, British single cylinder machines, then he took to Japanese and Italian four-stroke multis, before finishing on booming V-twins and two-strokes. He went from the black-and-white era, from one-colour dark leathers and pudding basin crash helmets, to the multicoloured, full-face helmeted, sponsorship driven days of the late 1970s. He found time to do some car racing too, recording a third at Le Mans in 1969 driving a Ford GT40, winning the 1972 Formula 2 European Championship and competing in 50 F1 Grands Prix, his debut in 1963, his last in 1974. Though the car stats are impressive, the motorcycle ones are astonishing - nine world championships, 76 GP wins, 14 TT victories, his TT victories separated by 18 years, the first 1961, the last 1979. On top of